1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a clamp device and, more particularly, to a clamping device for maintaining a rail device in position with respect to a railroad rail.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the operation of railroads, it has long been the practice to apply lubricant or friction modifying materials onto railroad rails, such as to the top of the rails or sides of the rails at curves, turnouts, switches, and in some cases, the sections of the track immediately before a switch, and periodically spaced along the length of the track. Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,120 and 5,394,958 and U.S. Pat. Application Pub. No. 2008/0223661, which are hereby incorporated by reference, for a dissertation on rail lubrication and disclosure of rail lubrication systems and applicator bars (oftentimes referred to as “wiping bars”) used therein.
Common to these prior art wiping bars is the need for rigidly securing the device to the railroad rails so that lubricant can be dispensed repeatedly at the desired rate and at the needed location. In most cases, this is accomplished through a mechanical connection to the rail itself, such as by bolting or clamping in various ways. However, the problems associated with such clamping means, among other things, is that the prior art wiping bars are often difficult to install and/or re-install in the field whenever maintenance is performed on the rail or on the wiping bar itself.
FIG. 1 shows a typical wiping bar assembly W1 mounted on a railroad rail 10. The rail 10 includes a base 12 that has flanges 14 and 16 extending therefrom. The rail 10 also includes a head 18, and a web 20 connecting the base 12 and the head 18. Referring to FIG. 1, the wiping bar assembly W1 is secured to the railroad rail 10 using a prior art mounting support or clamp 24. Typically, it takes two spaced apart mounting clamps 24 for securing a typical wiping bar assembly W1 to a railroad rail. The wiping bar assembly typically includes a front blade extending lengthwise on the outside face of a lubricant manifold body and an elongated distribution blade extending lengthwise on the front blade. A flow passageway is defined in a portion of the manifold body and the distribution blade for material to pass through. The flow passageway defines an exit end for depositing material onto the head 18 of the rail 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the wiping bar assembly W1 is positioned to deliver material to the gage face of the head 18.
The mounting clamp 24 includes a body 26 having a first end 28 and a second end 30 and defining an upper section 32 and a lower section 34. A recess portion 36 is defined at the first end 28 between the upper section 32 and the lower section 34 of the body 26 of the clamp 24. The recess portion 36 receives a portion of the flange 16 of the base 12 of the rail 10 as shown. The size and shape of the recess portion 36 is such as to provide a tight fit when the flange 16 is received therein. A bore 38 is defined in the lower section 34 of the clamp body 26 slightly below the recess portion 36 and extends from the first end 28 to the second end 30 of the clamp 24. The mounting clamp 24 also includes a J-bolt 40 having a hook section 42 defining a recess 44 and a straight section 46 having an end portion 48. The recess 44 of the hook section 42 receives a portion of the flange 14 of the base 12 of the rail 10 as shown. The straight section 46 of the J-bolt 40, which extends below the base 12 of the rail 10, is received within the bore 38 such that the end portion 48 extends beyond the second end 30 of the clamp body 26. The end portion 48 may be threaded for receiving a threaded fastener 50, such as a nut. A downwardly extending hole 52, which may be internally threaded, is defined in an upper surface 54 of the clamp body 26, wherein the hole 52 is adapted to receive a fastener arrangement 56 for securing the wiping bar assembly W1 to the railroad rail 10.
With continued reference to FIG. 1, the attachment of the prior art mounting clamp 24 to the railroad rail 10 is set forth as follows. First, the straight section 46 of the J-bolt 40 is received within the bore 38 of the clamp body 26 and then placed underneath the base 12 such that the base flange 14 is received within the recess 44 of the hook section 42. The first end 28 of the clamp body 26 is placed adjacent the base 12 of the rail 10 such that the flange 16 is received within the recess portion 36 of the body 26 of the clamp 24. A nut 50 or other fastener arrangement such as a nut and lockwasher is placed on the threaded end portion 48 and rotated toward the second end 30, thus drawing the hook section 42 of the J-bolt 40 and the mounting clamp 24 together for tight securement (including lateral securement) to the railroad rail 10. The wiping bar assembly W1 may then be fastened to the upper surface 54 of the clamp body 26 as indicated at 56. When removing and/or installing the prior art mounting clamp 24, such as during maintenance of the wiping bar assembly W1 and/or the railroad rail 10, a tool such as a socket wrench may be used to tighten or unloosen the nut 50 on the J-bolt 40. In most prior art clamps of this type, the tightening and/or unloosening process is relatively slow and tedious, thus making installation and removal of the wiping bar assembly W1 difficult and time consuming. This is particularly a concern for a rail lubrication system that contains at least four wiping bars totaling eight mounting clamps 24.